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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29349045">Finding freedom (With you)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpearl/pseuds/bpearl'>bpearl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Commoner Jongin, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, M/M, Modern Royalty, Prince Oh Sehun, Strangers to Lovers, art teacher jongin, mentions of cql if u squint, royal exit, sehun's dad is a pos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:41:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29349045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpearl/pseuds/bpearl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun hates being prince. Like a light in the end of a tunnel, Jongin comes along to help him find his own way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Jongin | Kai &amp; Oh Sehun, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>monthlysekai's Royal Treatment</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Finding freedom (With you)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>monthlysekai's Challenge #4 — Treating them like a royalty</p><p>thank you so much for my writting buddy N for accompanying me in the journey of writing this! also, i am once again very grateful to the mods for this incredible fest &lt;3 this fic was totally based on harry and meghan's royal exit btw, i got the title from their biography lol </p><p>please read the tags before proceeding!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Don't forget the Queen of Denmark is coming to visit us later today, you cannot be late." Sehun's father's authoritative tone made its way to his gut.</p><p>"Yes Father, I'll be there." The man agreed, eager to end the conversation but failing to do so.</p><p>"How about the notes I sent you? Did you study them for tonight?" The man continued.</p><p>Sighing at the King's inquiries, Sehun confirmed and quickly turned off his phone.</p><p>Throughout history, many would wonder what it meant to be royalty. To Oh Sehun, Prince of Exordium, belonging to royalty was nothing more than a mere title that had been attributed to him in his birth. The weight of that title only grew heavier the more he aged, going from a symbol of grandness and never ending splendor to an unavoidable burden Sehun had never asked for. Greed and hypocrisy ran deep through his family's blood, so the Prince often found himself trying to dissociate from them whenever he could.</p><p>Looking up, he took in the site ahead. Dozens of people roamed around the public school's grounds, too busy with either cleaning, painting walls or working on the small community garden in the backyard. It had been a while since the last time Sehun's been there to help everyone renovate it before the start of a new semester.</p><p>Right beside the front gates, Sehun noticed a tall, tanned man wearing a large tank top and a bucket hat who seemed focused on the drawings he was graffiting the school's white fences with. From the way he beamed while speaking with a few other kids, the guy was also apparently teaching them how to paint, which warmed Sehun's heart.</p><p>"Your Highness, what an honor!" The Prince turned to face the person who was now speaking to him.</p><p>A shorter man with a kittenish smirk offered his hand for Sehun to shake and the latter took it immediately.</p><p>"Hello Jongdae, you know it's always a pleasure." Sehun acknowledged the school's principal with a warm smile. "Where may I help?"</p><p>Jongdae looked around and waved someone over. Through his peripheral vision, Sehun caught a glimpse of the man who had grabbed his attention a few minutes earlier, now coming to their direction.</p><p>"Your Highness, this is Jongin, our new art teacher who moved here from Seoul last year. I think he could use a hand, right Jongin?" The principal suggested.</p><p>Beautiful dark brown orbs stared back at the Pince in awe, locking them both in a gaze so intense it left his mind blank. Jongin's plump lips moved in an attempt of a polite introduction, although Sehun failed to make sense of the man's exact words. Truthfully, he was way too distracted by the way Jongin's dimples were showing while he spoke.</p><p>"Me and the kids would love your Highness' help." Sehun was almost certain by now that he was speaking to the Sun itself.</p><p>"Of course. Please, call me Sehun." The Prince requested with a timid smile, earning a grin from Jongin.</p><p>As they walked to where the students were graffiting, Sehun tried to ignore how fast his heart was beating.</p><p>On that afternoon, the Prince found himself enamoured by how much of a kind soul Jongin appeared to be. His patience and constant attention to the students' doubts and struggles were admirable. Jongin's love for art and will to share his knowledge with others seemed evident by how naturally he got the students involved, all soft spoken and exuding contentment.</p><p>"Here, hold it like this." Jongin gently placed his hand on top of Sehun's, turning his wrist inwards and giving the latter the goosebumps.</p><p>--</p><p>Soon enough, Sehun was glad to accept Jongin's invitations to volunteer together at an institution that welcomed young LGBTQIA+ folk in need. There, the Prince was introduced to a new world he never had the chance to step into, and that was enough to fuel a fire that had been burning inside him for a long time.</p><p>Eventually, Sehun realized how much Jongin made him feel like home whenever they were together, and their relationship only got stronger from there.</p><p>Earlier in his youth, Sehun thought it would be possible to lead a life according to his wishes, as long as he still managed to carry on with his royal duties. However, his family's opposition to his growing activism was harsher than expected.</p><p>"Tone it down." His father strictly advised. "I understand you have your beliefs, but being spotted in the front line of a gay parade won't do us any good. One of our most important economic allies is now hesitant to join a mercantile trade with our nation because of you."</p><p>"Are you sure that's the reason? Perhaps if you offered them a fairer agreement, like they've requested many times before, then this wouldn't be a problem." Sehun argued in defense, tightening his jaw.</p><p>With a frown, His Majesty looked up from the documents he had been reading.</p><p>"The agreement is already as fair as it can be, there will be no changes in it whatsoever. They were basically signing the deal until your face showed up on the news in the middle of that indecency." The prince was used to hearing absurdities coming from the King, but that did little to ease the blow of those last words.</p><p>"Indecency?" Feeling his chest burn with rage, Sehun tried to maintain his composure.</p><p>"You heard me!" The King spat out, taking his glasses off for a moment to rub his temples.</p><p>Not trusting himself enough to let out any more words, the prince remained silent. The stoic expression on his face always did a good job on hiding away his boiling anger.</p><p>"Do you want to help causes that are important to you? Great. Then stick to our usual philanthropic work. Volunteer somewhere or make donations in our name to help the poor, I don't care. Just don't get involved in those marches anymore." His father emphasized.</p><p>Without uttering a single acknowledgement to the King's lecture, Sehun turned on his heels and left the room, shutting the door loudly behind him.</p><p>--</p><p>Turning the doorknob to Jongin's apartment seemed natural to Sehun nowadays. The Prince remembered how anxious he felt the first time he step a foot inside his boyfriend's house six months ago, frightned of being seen or fucking up somehow. It was crazy to witness how well their relationship had developed, to the point where Sehun now nurtured a sense of belonging to that space, more so than he'd ever did to the royal palace.</p><p>Taking off his shoes and putting on the ring that had been sitting inside his pocket all day, Sehun went straight to Jongin's bedroom, changing into a comfortable sweater and matching sweatpants. The fabric smelled strongly of his boyfriend's scent, which put Sehun at ease even in his absence.</p><p>Since Jongin was still going to take a couple of hours to get home from work, the Prince settled himself on the couch and put up this chinese TV series he's been obsessed with lately. It was about two soulmate cultivators who fought side by side against the evils of the world, never abandoning each other.</p><p>Almost an hour later, Sehun woke up to warm lips softly pressing on his cheek.</p><p>"Hey baby." Jongin whispered, bending down to kiss him again. "I brought us dinner, let me just change so we can eat, okay?"</p><p>Still a bit groggy from his impromptu nap, Sehun only nodded.</p><p>During dinner, the Prince stared at the engagement rings they had secretly exchanged only a month ago as he interlaced their fingers together.</p><p>"Do you think we're gonna be able to get married soon?" Sehun wondered, resting his head on Jongin's shoulder.</p><p>"I'd marry you right now if I could. But I think it's best that you speak to your family first." Jongin honestly admitted.</p><p>Sighing at that sad reality, Sehun felt a shiver run down his spine while imagining how his father would react if he told him he wasn't going to inherit the throne. This had been his destiny since the day he was born, but Sehun had never felt more disconnected from his family's wishes. Nowadays, even stepping a foot inside the palace during his free time was rare.</p><p>"Okay, I wanted to wait until we finished dinner to tell you this, but I just can't hold myself any longer." Jongin seemed ecstatic as a grin started to form in his face.</p><p>The Prince widened his eyes in expectation.</p><p>"What is it? Spit it out!" The Prince laughed along as he groped Jongin's arm, eagering the man to speak.</p><p>Turning to Sehun, Jongin grabbed both of his hands and brought them to his lips before answering.</p><p>"Remember that job in Seoul I applied for a few weeks ago? The one at that famous art school there." Sehun's eyebrows shot up and he quickly nodded in affirmation. "Well, they contacted me today to say that I got the offer!"</p><p>"OH MY GOD JONGIN!" Sehun embraced him in a tight hug as happiness overflowed him.</p><p>This had been Jongin's dream job for ages and he finally would be able to move back to Seoul.</p><p>Leaning back, Jongin placed his palms on Sehun's cheeks, carefully caressing the skin.</p><p>"Sehun, if I haven't made this clear enough already, I want you to come with me." At that moment, Jongin turned serious. "I want to build a life together with you there."</p><p>Naturally, Sehun agreed immediately, pulling Jongin in for a deep kiss.</p><p>It isn't as if the couple hadn't already discussed their future before they got engaged, but actually facing that long awaited chance of pursuing his independence made Sehun's chest burn in excitement. What was once a distant possibility, now represented a real opportunity for the Prince to take one step closer towards his own path alongside the person he loved.</p><p>"When do you start?" Sehun asked.</p><p>"They want me there next semester, which is in, like, four months." Jongin replied, seeming a bit nervous. "What do you think?"</p><p>Sehun hummed before answering.</p><p>"Yeah, I think it's possible. I already have the paperwork halfway set, so the only thing left is coming clean to my family about...all of this" He reasons, feeling his palms start to sweat.</p><p>Noticing Sehun's distress, Jongin promptly put an arm over his shoulder and started stroking his dark brown locks.</p><p>"Do you want me to be there with you?" The teacher's voice was low and tender, embracing Sehun in much needed comfort.</p><p>There was a moment of hesitation before Sehun finally spoke.</p><p>"No, I need to do this alone." Sehun admitted.</p><p>Jongin nodded in understanding.</p><p>"But..." The Prince continued, feeling his eyes starting to sting. "Will you be there for me after?"</p><p>At that, Jongin made sure to look straight into Sehun's eyes and hold their gaze steady.</p><p>"Of course, you silly." Jongin gave him an assuring smile. "I will always be here for you."</p><p>Sehun snorted, turning his head away in fake arrogance. He tended to act like that whenever he felt too flustered.</p><p>"You better." The Prince said with a pout, refusing to look at Jongin.</p><p>The latter could only laugh at Sehun's petulance, proceeding to lean in to nib at his earlobe. The Prince let out a surprised yelp at the contact, lightly pushing Jongin away while he giggled.</p><p>A few moments later, they were already in Jongin's bed, too busy savouring each other to care about anything else.</p><p>--</p><p>When the Prince returned to the palace the next morning, a nightmare in broad daylight was expecting him.</p><p>Sehun sensed that something was off the moment he was called to his father's presence. Opening the door to his chambers with shaky hands felt like a challenge. The Prince noticed the weird side glances thrown at him by the King's guards and took a deep breath before entering the room.</p><p>A deep feeling in his gut already knew what this was going to be about.</p><p>"Yes, Father?" Sehun asked out loud, trying to keep his voice stable.</p><p>Not uttering a single word, his father simply opened a drawer from his desk and got a hold of a few photos, throwing them harshly on the table.</p><p>The words died down in Sehun's throat as he walked closer, recognizing who exactly the couple in those photos were.</p><p>"Is this what you've been up to outside the castle?" His father asked in disdain, clearly holding back his anger from how restrained his voice sounded.</p><p>The Prince closed his eyes as dread filled him in. The pictures showed him and Jongin together in various locations, walking hand in hand in marches, in the grocery store and a photo of them kissing inside his car. There was a long pause before any of them spoke and Sehun could only hear his own heart pounding inside his chest.</p><p>This was definitely not what Sehun had in mind when he imagined coming out to his family. Oh well.</p><p>"We're engaged." Sehun firmly stated while maintaining a stoic expression.</p><p>"What?!" With widened eyes, the King fumed in rage. "What did you just say?"</p><p>After inhaling a sharp breath from the shock caused by his father's sudden outburst, Sehun decided he wouldn't back down.</p><p>"Did I stutter?!" For once, the Prince managed to raise his voice as well. "It surprises me that you didn't know that already, since apparently you've been spying on me for months."</p><p>A vain threatened to pop off the King's forehead as he listened to Sehun's words.</p><p>"I don't give a shit about what you do with your life apart from your royal duties, Oh Sehun. But the moment you start to drag our reputation to your mess, I have the obligation to step in."</p><p>"Father, I-" The Prince tried to reason, to no avail.</p><p>"I don't want to hear another word from you!" The screaming only got worse. "Do you have any idea of the potential those photos have to completely ruin us? They were sent to me by the press!"</p><p>Sehun scoffed.</p><p>"Of course that's all you fucking care about. Has my well being ever crossed your mind?" It was a bad sign that he could already feel the tears starting to spring.</p><p>At that, The King barked out a laugh before speaking.</p><p>"You are the heir to the throne of Exordium. With all of the fortune and power you have in your hands, what else could you possibly need to live well?" His Majesty loudly inquired, causing Sehun to wonder just how much more could go wrong in this conversation.</p><p>Silence stretched out as none of them dared to open their mouths.</p><p>Now that Sehun was in this circumstance himself, he realized that no mental preparation would've been enough for him to handle his father's hot temper. Even though he was already very familiar with his antics, as a result of living under the same roof, Sehun couldn't help but feel like a knife was being jabbed into his chest each time the King spat out nonsense.</p><p>Yet, nothing could have come close to what his father would declare next.</p><p>"I have spoken to the Queen of Denmark. We came to a settlement for you to marry her daughter, this will put an end to this whole fiasco before it gets out of hand." If Sehun's heart was being stabbed before, now it had just been completely ripped off his rib cage, leaving him hollow.</p><p>Turning away from his father, Sehun groaned in frustration. After meeting Jongin, the idea of marrying for anything else but love was something the Prince simply couldn't grasp.</p><p>"I don't want any of this!" facing the King once again, Sehun sounded delirious even to his own ears. "Why can't you just listen to me for once?"</p><p>There was a brief, but extremely heavy pause before any of them spoke. On one side, Sehun's piercing gaze defied the authority of the man sitting right in front of him, on the other, the sharp, brutal look the King wore showed that he would never ever change his mind.</p><p>"I'm sure there's still some sense inside that brain of yours, Oh Sehun. Enough to understand exactly what is best for you."</p><p>At least in this matter they both could agree. Indeed, Sehun knew very well what he needed to do.</p><p>--</p><p>"Are you sure about this?" Jongin asked one last time.</p><p>They were both standing right by the airport's waiting hall, bags heavy on their shoulders and passports in hand.</p><p>"Yes Jongin, I'm sure." Sehun secured him with eyes turned into crescents.</p><p>Clutching on his fiancée's arm for comfort, Sehun pulled him towards the boarding gates that read "SEOUL - SOUTH KOREA".</p><p>To a new beginning, never looking back.</p><p>--</p><p>A few months later, the King was making himself comfortable inside the palace's lounging chambers for some much needed rest. Warm tea in hand and feet up on the small table, His Majesty tried to take his mind away from the chaos the past couple of months have been.</p><p>Suddenly, rushed steps approached the room, making him jump when a particularly loud bang on the door followed suit.</p><p>"There's something Your Majesty needs to see!" The servant sounded urgent, so the King quickly took the newspaper that was handed to him.</p><p>While unfolding the papers, the King's face went pale as he grasped what he was looking at. The tea cup that was once in his hand now lied shattered on the tiles.</p><p>Right in the front page, in huge, bold letters, the following headline couldn't be missed:</p><p>"The long awaited wedding of former Exordium Prince Oh Sehun and artist Kim Jongin"</p><p>A picture of them sharing a kiss amid the crowd was the cherry on top.</p><p>Thankfully, from now on, Sehun would never need to worry about his father's screams ever again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you so much for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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